Census 2010

August 2009 Census News

What is the Census?

• The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
• The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
• The next census is in 2010.
• Your participation in the census is required by law.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
• Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
• Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

A Public Service Message from the Census Bureau

The 2010 Census and the American Community Survey
America is Changing, and so is the Census

One of the most significant changes in modern census history will occur in 2010 - for the first time since 1930, all addresses in the U.S. will receive a census short form.

In recent censuses, most addresses received one of two forms: either the short form, which focused on the population count and demographics; or the long form, which included additional questions on socioeconomic and housing characteristics. Nationwide, about one-in-six addresses in 2000 received the long form. Together, the two parts of the decennial census showed not only the number of people living in America but also the way we live: education, housing, jobs and more. This information will still be part of the decennial census, but it will be collected on a continuing basis as part of the American Community Survey.

Related Documents

US Census 2010 official website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
American Community Survey website: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
American FactFinder: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Lakewood Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/5338038.html